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My drive home took some interesting twists this year. First, since I had hit my driveshaft running Cliffhanger on Monday, I couldn't do more than about 50 MPH. Fortunately, John's spare rear driveshaft is close enough to use as a street spare, so I installed it on Saturday morning and started my drive home.

Just outside of Edwards CO, I heard a noise, then a whirl, then no power. I coasted to the off ramp and was able to get to a spot to poke around. It was clear that something had gone astray in the t-case, as when I but it in park and jumped out, the Jeep wanted to roll. Eventually I was able to get the tcase into a strange mode; low range, but only power to the front. From there I couldn't get it into any other mode nor drive faster than 20 MPH, but at least I was mobile.

I was able to drive on the shoulder and limp the Jeep from Edwards to Vail, in the hopes of better option for a tow. After calling around, it was going to be $450 minimum to get towed home, but they couldn't get me down the hill until a day or 2 later. By now it was after 7pm and I figured I was going to be spending the night in Vail. Of course, Vail has ridiculous hotel prices on a normal day, but this weekend the GoPro Games were in town so room availability was worse than usual.

Since I had all my camping gear from Moab, I figured why not camp? Campgrounds were all full, but there is dispersed camping on Road 700 on the north side of town. By the time I got up the hill to the forest access road it was dusk. I didn't dare risk going too far with my busted jeep. It wouldn't have mattered since the road was packed with people camping all over the place so I found a wide spot, nosed up to a tree and strung my hammock between the tree and bumper. I worked out great, except I did get a bit cold after midnight. I bet it dipped into the 40's.

The next day I made the best of the day as I waited for those leaving Moab on Sunday to catch up. I explored the vendor booths at the Go Pro Games, ate some free food samples and drank from awesome cold brew coffee from high brew coffee. High brew is touring in a really cool retro bus. I also checked out the new Yakima roof top tent and saw a neat little trailer called a Tiger Moth.

After I had seen just about everything at the event that was free, so I took a nap in the shade by the library. I didn't realize how poor I had slept the night before until I woke myself up snoring! Soon Tyler rolled into town and we discussed the situation. Fixing the tcase was a non starter as we didn't have the parts (possibly shift fork or main shaft damage). I was going to swap my Jeep for his on the trailer, but that would mean I would have to drive Tyler's beast the rest of the way home. Tyler was kind enough to offer up his AAA membership. Ken H also stopped to check on us, just in case getting a tow didn't work out. Jim K wasn't far behind either for a back-up to the back-up option.

Eventually the tow truck did show up and we got the Jeep loaded. And since the East-Vail exit is under 100 miles from my house (97 to be exact) to tow was 100% covered under AAA. I got a ride down the hill from Tyler as they couldn't deliver the Jeep to Denver until Monday. In fact I just heard from my wife that they dropped it off this afternoon. Now to figure out what when wrong!

Play by the rules or GTFO
Lifetime SupporterGrand Slam West PlannerAdmin

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06-12-2017, 07:29 PM

You probably weren't all that far behind us. I think we left town around 11. Not as interesting of a drive home for us, but it wasn't without some challenges. A Ford Escape went full carbeque a couple miles from the Vail Pass Summit, causing traffic to be stop and go for most of the climb up the pass. Then on Eisenhower it seems as if the lane marker indicating the existence of a far right slow lane for the trucks was completely wiped off the road. Then C470 apparently buckled near Alameda, causing another slowdown. Then the other direction of 470 was completely closed due to a fatal accident. I had hoped the truck would have given me at least some issue to help prompt me getting a new truck, but of course it did just fine.

If you need help with the case let me know, now that we're almost neighbors. I don't have as many spare 231 parts as I used to, but still enjoy tearing them apart.

Curiosity will likely get the best of me so I might to tear into the case this week. If not maybe next weekend we can break it down. Ken and I are planning on hitting a junk yard in the next couple weeks to build him a heavy duty version of the NP231 (pulling parts from dodge, chevy and jeep t-cases). Depending on what I find in mine, we may be assembling 2 cases there!

I'm curious to know what's up with it as well so keep us informed if you would.

Because Jeep.

"ZJ's were designed with the intention to take 1 really good hit, and fold up. As long as the occupants walked away, it was a success. In the wheeling world, we expect our vehicles to take multiple really good hits, drive out of it, and run the obstacle again!"

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